Paper level measurement

ABSTRACT

Detecting a continuous level of paper in a paper supply providing paper for a printing device. A length of the paper supply includes applied indicia, with the indicia extending contiguously across the length of the paper supply. When a paper section is dispensed, the position of the indicia on the dispensed portion of paper is determined, with the position reflecting a level pertaining to the paper supply remaining or dispensed.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a method and system fordetecting a level of paper in a paper supply available for printing in aprinting device. More specifically, the level of paper in the supplythat has been used or is remaining is measured in a continuous manner.

Description of the Prior Art

In a printing device using paper supplied from a paper supply, printingis carried out by successively feeding the paper supply to a printingposition. When one printing job is finished, the used paper is subjectedto cutting and/or separation from the paper supply. The size of a printimage on the used paper may respectively differ for each print job.Accordingly, a shortage in a remaining amount of the paper supply mayoccur for a successive print job, causing a print interrupt.

To prevent interruption in the operation of the printing device due tono paper available for printing, it is known to use a detector to sensea low paper condition. One solution is to employ an encoder to measurethe cumulative length of paper available for printing. Another solutionuses a detecting arm which loses contact with an exteriorcircumferential surface of the paper roll when the paper roll reaches a“near end” state. Some known solutions provide the printing device witha signal indicative of the paper level. In response to the signal, theprinting device indicates the low paper level condition to a userthrough a light emitting diode or a similar illumination device.

Known solutions detect only arbitrarily-defined paper “low” conditionsand provide only a few discrete states of paper level, such as “Full,”“Near Empty,” and “Empty.” These solutions fail to indicate preciselevels of paper during printing process and are limited to detecting apredefined number of discrete states of paper level. The transition fromone state to another may be unexpected and sudden. In addition, most ofthe solutions are highly dependent on electronics. Paper level cannot bemeasured once electrical power is cut off. Accordingly, there is a needfor an accurate measurement of a paper supply.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method, system, and article for continuously measuring a paper levelassociated with a paper source.

In a first aspect, a method is provided for measuring the paper leveland dynamic application of the measured level. The paper supply markedwith applied indicia that extends in a continuous format across thelength of the paper and from a first end of the paper to a second end isprovided. As the paper supply is used, a position of the indicia on aportion of the paper supply is observed. A quantity of the paper supplybased on the observed position of the indicia is assessed. The quantityof the paper supply being assessed may be a remaining supply or aconsumed supply. The dispensing of paper from the paper supply isdynamically controlled in response to the assessed quantity.

In another aspect, a system is provided to measure a paper levelassociated with a paper source and dynamic application of the measuredlevel. The system includes a processing unit in communication withmemory, and a sensor in communication with the memory. The sensor isemployed to read a position of indicia on a paper supply. A functionalunit is provided in communication with the memory. More specifically,the functional unit includes a tool to manage the paper supply, and theprocessing unit communicates with the functional unit to processinformation received from the tools. The tools include, but are notlimited to, a position manager and a director. The position manager isin communication with the sensor and functions to receive informationregarding the position of the indicia from the sensor and to assess aquantity of the paper supply. The quantity includes a remaining supplyof paper or a consumed supply of paper. The director, which is incommunication with the position manager, functions to dynamicallycontrol dispensing of paper from the paper supply.

In yet another aspect, a computer program product is provided. Thecomputer program product includes a computer-readable storage mediumhaving computer readable program code embodied thereon, which whenexecuted causes a computer to implement a method for measuring the paperlevel and dynamically applying the measured level. Program code isprovided to read a position of indicia on a paper supply, and to assessa quantity of the paper supply based upon the read position. Thequantity of the paper supply includes the remaining supply or theconsumed supply. Program code is also provided to dynamically controldispensing of paper from the paper supply in response to the quantity ofthe assessed paper supply.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description of the presently preferredembodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification.Features shown in the drawing are meant as illustrative of only someembodiments of the invention, and not of all embodiments of theinvention unless otherwise explicitly indicated. Implications to thecontrary are otherwise not to be made.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an extended length of paper with a V-shapedline applied to a surface of the paper.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a dispensed section of paper from theextended length of paper with V-shaped line applied to a surface of thepaper.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an extended length of paper roll with adiagonal line applied to a surface of the paper.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a dispensed section of paper from theextended length of paper with the diagonal line applied to a surface ofthe paper.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for measuring a paper levelused or remaining in an extended length of paper supply.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating tools embedded in a system tosupport dynamic assessment of the paper supply.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a system for implementing anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the presentinvention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein,may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of differentconfigurations. Thus, the following detailed description of theembodiments of the apparatus, system, and method of the presentinvention, as presented in the Figures, is not intended to limit thescope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative ofselected embodiments of the invention.

The functional unit described in this specification has been labeledwith tools, directors, and/or managers. The functional unit may beimplemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmablegate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, orthe like. The functional unit may also be implemented in software forexecution by various types of processors. An identified functional unitof executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical orlogical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, beorganized as an object, procedure, function, or other construct.Nevertheless, the executable of an identified functional unit need notbe physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructionsstored in different locations which, when joined logically together,comprise the functional unit and achieve the stated purpose of thefunctional unit.

Indeed, a functional unit of executable code could be a singleinstruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed overseveral different code segments, among different applications, andacross several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may beidentified and illustrated herein within the functional unit, and may beembodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type ofdata structure. The operational data may be collected as a single dataset, or may be distributed over different locations including overdifferent storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, aselectronic signals on a system or network.

Reference throughout this specification to “a select embodiment,” “oneembodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,appearances of the phrases “a select embodiment,” “in one embodiment,”or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specificationare not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In thefollowing description, numerous specific details are provided, such asexamples of modules, managers, etc., to provide a thorough understandingof embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art willrecognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one ormore of the specific details, or with other methods, components,materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, oroperations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuringaspects of the invention.

The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood byreference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by likenumerals throughout. The following description is intended only by wayof example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments ofdevices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the inventionas claimed herein.

In the following description of the embodiments, reference is made tothe accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which shows byway of illustration the specific embodiment in which the invention maybe practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may beutilized because structural changes may be made without departing formthe scope of the present invention.

In a printing device using a paper supply, printing is carried out bysuccessively feeding the paper supply to a printing position. Printingof one print job includes application of indicia to a surface of thepaper. A print job may only require a select length of paper. When theprint job is completed, a used section of the paper is subject toseparation from the supply. In one embodiment, the used section may beseparated from the used paper with applied indicia from a remaininglength of paper in the paper supply that may be used for a subsequentprint job. Similarly, in one embodiment, each used section may include apreset length of paper, and the preset length is separated from thepaper supply. For example, the paper supply may be form based with eachform having a defined length. In another embodiment, the size of a printimage may respectively differ for each printing job, thereby affectingthe length of paper that has been used and similarly the length of paperthat remains unused.

FIG. 1 is a diagram (100) illustrating an embodiment of extended lengthof paper (105) used for a printing device (not shown). The extendedlength of paper (105) is shown as a rectangular shape, although theshape of the length of paper should not be limited to the geometricshape shown herein. The extended length of paper (105) is shown anddescribed herein as a rectangular shape having four corners (125),(135), (145), and (155) and four sides (110), (120), (130), (140). Sides(110) and (120) are oppositely disposed and maintain a parallel or nearparallel alignment. Similarly, sides (130) and (140) maintain a parallelor near parallel alignment. Sides (110) and (120) maintain aperpendicular or near perpendicular alignment to sides (130) and (140).The paper (105) is shown extended and planar. In one embodiment, thepaper (105) may be wound around a roller or a shaft. Regardless of thealignment, the paper supply is a single continuous length of paper or astack of paper supply. Accordingly, the paper (105) has a continuousplanar length employed with a printer to apply indicia to a fixed mediumof the paper (105).

One of the pair of sides represents the width of the paper and anotherpair of the sides represents the length of the paper. For purposes ofdescription, sides (130) and (140) are described herein to represent thelength (134) of the paper (105), and sides (110) and (120) are describedherein to represent the width (132) of the paper (105). Indicia areprovided on a surface of the paper (105) and are represented as twolines (150) and (160). More specifically, side (110) and (130) meet toform a first corner at (125), side (110) and (140) meet to form a secondcorner at (135), side (140) and (120) meet to form a third corner at(145), and side (140) and (110) meet to form a fourth corner at (155). Afirst of the two lines (150) is shown to extend from the first corner(125) to a point (175) between the third and fourth corners (145) and(155), respectively. In one embodiment, point (175) is a midpointbetween the third and fourth corners (145) and (155) on side (120). Asecond of the two lines (160) is shown to extend from the second corner(135) to the point (175) between the third and fourth corners (145) and(155). Accordingly, the two lines (150) and (160) extend in a continuousmatter from side (110) to side (120).

By way of example and not limitation, the lines (150) and (160) may bemade of a magnetic material, infrared sensitive ink, or ultravioletsensitive ink. The lines (150) and (160) may be visible or invisible toa user, depending on the implementation. In one embodiment, an imagesensor (not shown) may be provided in communication with lines (150) and(160). At the end of each printing job when a section of the length ofpaper (105) is dispensed, the sensor measures the position of the lines(150) and (160) with respect to the sides of the non-dispensed ordispensed portion of the length of paper (105). More specifically, alength of the paper remaining or a length of the paper used may bedetermined from the position of the lines (150) and (160) to therespective sides (130) and (140). In one embodiment, the length of thepaper remaining or length of paper used may be determined from thedistance (190) remaining between the lines (150) and (160). A startingposition (152) of line (150) is shown at the first corner (125), and astarting position (162) of line (160) is shown at the second corner(135). The distance (190) between the two line lines (150), (160) at thestarting positions (152), (162), respectively, is a maximum distancecorresponding to the distance between the first corner (125) and thesecond corner (135). The distance (190) continuously decreases in alinear manner across the length of the lines (150) and (160). When thelines (150) and (160) meet at (175), the distance (190) converges, e.g.forms a narrowing gap, between the two lines (150) and (160) whichdisappear when the lines (150) and (160) converge. Accordingly, thedistance (190) between the two lines and the linear correspondence ofthe distance to the length of paper may be employed to assess theremaining length of paper in a corresponding supply.

The lines (150) and (160) and the distance (190) formed there betweenmay be assessed by a person or machine, depending on the format of thelines. If the lines (150) and (160) are visible to the human eye, aperson may assess the remaining length of paper. However, if the lines(150) and (160) are not visible to the human eye, a sensor may beemployed to assess the remaining length of paper. In one embodiment, acomputing device is provided in communication with the sensor tointerpret the measured position of the lines (150) and (160) in terms ofa paper level in the supply used for the printing device. The calculatedpaper level is reported to an operator of the associated printingdevice. For example, if a minimum length of paper remains, the report ofthe calculated level may dictate a requirement for a new paper source tobe employed.

As noted above, the paper source employs a continuous length of paper,which has a finite length. When printing of one job is finished, thepaper is subjected to separation from the supply at or near a positionadjacent to the indicia applied to the paper by the associated printjob. The section of the paper with indicia is dispensed, and theremaining length of paper is retained in the paper source. FIG. 2 is anexploded view (200) of the dispensed section of paper from FIG. 1 withthe exploded view illustrating a section of the paper that has beenseparated from the continuous length. Based on the relationship of FIGS.1 and 2, similar identification elements will be shown with similarnumerals. As described above in FIG. 1, the length of paper dispensedhas a V-shaped line applied to the surface of the paper. These lines maybe visible or near-visible to the human eye, with the intent that thelines do not affect the integrity of presentation of indicia on thepaper. A dispensed section (205) is shown in the shape of a rectangletaken from the extended supply (200). In one embodiment, the shape ofthe section (205) may be in a different form, and as such, the scopeshould not be limited to the specific shape described herein.Accordingly, the following description pertains to a dispensed sectionof paper from the continuous length.

In the extended supply (200) with markings to show a position from whichthe dispensed section (205) is taken, a starting position (252) of line(250) is shown at the first corner (225), and a starting position (262)of line (260) is shown at the second corner (235). A distance betweenthe two line lines (250), (260) at the starting positions (252), (262),respectively, is a maximum distance corresponding to the distancebetween the first corner (225) and the second corner (235). Thisdistance continuously decreases in a linear manner across the length ofthe lines (250) and (260), until the distance converges, e.g. forms anarrowing gap, between the two lines (250) and (260) which disappearwhen the lines (250) and (260) converge. The dispensed section (205) isshown with lines (250) and (260) disposed on the surface of the paper.More specifically, the dispensed section (205) is described herein as arectangular shape having four sides (212), (222), (270), and (280).Sides (212) and (222) of the dispensed section (205) are oppositelydisposed and maintain a parallel or near parallel alignment. Similarly,sides (270) and (280) are oppositely disposed and maintain a parallel ornear parallel alignment. Sides (212) and (222) maintain a perpendicularor near perpendicular alignment to sides (270) and (280), respectively.The dispensed paper section (205) is shown extended and planar.

One of the pair of sides represents the width of the dispensed papersection (205) and another pair of the sides represents the length of thedispensed paper section (205). For purposes of description, sides (212)and (222) are described herein to represent the width (232), and sides(270) and (280) are described herein to represent the length (234) ofthe dispensed segment. Different sections of dispensed paper may havedifferent or the same length. Regardless of the length of paperdispensed, the width (212), (222) is the same for all sections severedfrom the length of the paper source.

Lines (255) and (265) shown on the dispensed paper (205) representsub-segments of lines (250) and (260), respectively. Specifically, line(250) originates at side (210) and extends toward side (220), and line(260) originates at side (220) and extends toward side (210).Extrapolating lines (255) and (265) across the entire length of thepaper would show lines (250) and (260) meeting at (275) along edge(220). In the sample severed section of paper (205), lines (255) and(265) are shown to be nearly parallel to each other and to the sides(270) and (280) of the dispensed paper (205). This relationship of thelines (255) and (265) demonstrates that the dispensed paper (205) isabout the mid-section of the entire paper source. In one embodiment, asthe dispensed segment nears the end of the paper sources, the distance(290) between lines segments (255) and (265) will decrease, indicatingthat the paper source is nearly depleted. Conversely, in one embodiment,a non-parallel relationship between line segments (255) and (265) thatdiverge demonstrates that the paper source has greater than fiftypercent of the supply remaining. Accordingly, the paper supply remainingis based on the distance between the line segments on the dispensedpaper.

As shown, the distance (290) between the lines (255) and (265) isdefined by the position of the dispensed paper segment (205) withrespect to the paper remaining in the paper source. There are threemanners in which the measurement of lines (255) and (265) take place. Afirst measurement is the distance between lines (255) and (265), asecond measurement is a distance between line (255) and edge (270), anda third measurement is a distance between line (265) and edge (280). Anyor all of the first, second, and third measurements may be employed as abasis to determine the quantity of paper remaining in the paper source.

Any one of the three measurements with respect to the position of lines(250) and (260) as described above may take place via machine or amanual assessment. In the case of a line that is visible to the humaneye, the manual assessment may be employed to determine if the lines(255) and (265) are converging, and if so, how close they are toconvergence. Similarly, in one embodiment, an image sensor (not shown)may be provided to measure any one of, or a combination of, the threedistance measurements described above. With respect to the image sensor,a computing device or controller is provided in communication with thesensor to interpret the measured position of the lines (255) and (265)in terms of the paper level available for use. The measured position ofthe paper level may be reported to the printing device. Since lines(250) and (260) form a V shaped marking, each of the three definedmeasurements determine the position of lines (255) and (265) for eachdispensed paper section (205) is indicative of the paper level availablefor printing or consumed in the printing device. Accordingly, the systemas described above provides for a continuous measurement of the paperlevel, as opposed to reporting a few discrete levels.

FIG. 3 is a diagram (300) illustrating an extended length of paper (305)used for a printing device (not shown) according to a first embodiment.The extended length of paper (305) is shown as a rectangular shape,although the shape of the length of paper should not be limited to thegeometric shape shown herein. The extended length of paper (305) isshown and described herein as a rectangular shape having four corners(325), (335), (345), and (355) and four sides (310), (320), (330),(340). Sides (310) and (320) are oppositely disposed and maintain aparallel or near parallel alignment. Similarly, sides (330) and (340)maintain a parallel or near parallel alignment. Sides (310) and (320)maintain a perpendicular or near perpendicular alignment to sides (330)and (340). The paper (305) is shown extended and planar. In oneembodiment, the paper (305) may be wound around a roller as a continuouslength. Accordingly, the paper (305) has a continuous planar lengthemployed with a printer to apply indicia to a fixed medium.

One of the pair of sides represents the width of the paper and anotherpair of the sides represents the length of the paper. For purposes ofdescription, sides (330) and (340) are described herein to represent thelength of the paper (305), and sides (310) and (320) are describedherein to represent the width of the paper (305). Indicia are providedon a surface of the paper (305) and represented as a single line (350).More specifically, side (310) and (330) meet to form a first corner at(325), side (310) and (340) meet to form a second corner at (335), side(340) and (320) meet to form a third corner at (345), and side (340) and(310) meet to form a fourth corner at (355). The single line (350) isshown to extend from the first corner (325) to the fourth corner (355).In one embodiment, the line (350) may be a single straight ornear-straight line that extends continuously between two oppositelyposition corners of the extended length of paper. Accordingly, the line(350) is a single line that extends between two oppositely positionedcorners to form a diagonal line across the extended paper length.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram (400) illustrating a segment of paper that hasbeen separated from the continuous length. Based on the relationship ofFIGS. 3 and 4, similar identification elements will be shown withsimilar numerals. When a print job is finished, the length of paper issubjected to being separate from the paper supply at a positionfollowing the end of the applied indicia, and then a portion of thelength of paper is dispensed. As described above in FIG. 3, the lengthof paper dispensed has a single continuous line applied to the surfaceof the paper. This line may be visible or near-visible, with the intentthat the line does not affect the integrity of the presentation ofindicia on the paper. A dispensed section (405) is shown in the shape ofa rectangle. Similarly a non-dispensed section (400) is shown withmarkings to illustrated the location of the dispensed section from theextended supply. However, in one embodiment, the shape of the section(405) may be in a different form, and as such, the scope should not belimited to the specific shape described herein. Accordingly, thefollowing description pertains to a dispensed section of paper from thecontinuous length.

The dispensed section (405) is shown with line (455) disposed on thesurface of the paper. More specifically, the dispensed section isdescribed herein as a rectangular shape having four sides (412), (422),(470), and (480). Sides (412) and (422) of the dispensed section (405)are oppositely disposed and maintain a near parallel alignment.Similarly, sides (470) and (480) are oppositely disposed and maintain aparallel or near parallel alignment. Sides (412) and (422) maintain aperpendicular or near perpendicular alignment to sides (470) and (480),respectively. The dispensed paper section (405) is shown extended andplanar.

One of the pair of sides represents the width of the dispensed papersection (405) and another pair of the sides represents the length of thedispensed paper section (405). For purposes of description, sides (412)and (422) are described herein to represent the width, and sides (470)and (480) are described herein to represent the length of the dispensedsegment. Different sections of dispensed paper may have different or thesame length. Regardless of the length of paper dispensed, the width isthe same for all sections separated from the length of the paper source.

Line (455) shown on the dispensed segment of paper (405) represents asub-segment of the entire line (450). Specifically, in the non-dispensedsupply (400) line (450) originates at side (410) and extends toward side(420). In the sample severed section of paper (405), line (455) is shownto be closer to side (470) than side (480). The distance from the line(455) to any one of sides (470) and (480) reflects the position of thedispensed paper (405) with respect to the entire paper source. In oneembodiment, as the dispensed segment nears the end of the paper sources,the linear distance between line segment (455) and side (470) willincrease, indicating that the paper source is nearly depleted.Accordingly, the paper supply remaining is based on the characteristicsassociated with line (455) together with the distance measurementbetween the line segment (455) on the dispensed paper section to any oneof the oppositely positions sides (470) and (480).

There are two manners in which the measurement of the position of line(455) takes place. A first measurement is the distance between line(455) and side (470), and a second measurement is a distance betweenline (455) and side (480). Any or all of the first and secondmeasurements may be employed as a basis to determine the quantity ofpaper remaining in the paper source.

Any one of the two measurements with respect to the position of line(455) as described above may take place via machine or a manualassessment. In the case of a line that is visible to the human eye, themanual assessment may be employed to determine the position of the line(455) with respect to any one of the sides.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart (500) illustrating a method for determining apaper level in a continuous length of paper according to the presentinvention. As described above, the length of paper in the paper supplyis marked with indicia extending from a first end of the paper to asecond end (502). In one embodiment the indicia includes a single linestarting from a first corner adjacent to the first end of the roll paperand extending to second corner opposite to the first corner and adjacentto a second end of the paper. In another embodiment, the indicia mayinclude two lines, a first line starting from a first corner adjacent tothe first end of the paper and a second line starting from a secondcorner adjacent to the first end. Both, the first and the second linesextend to the middle point of the second end, e.g. with two linesintersect at a meeting point on an oppositely positioned side of thepaper from the starting points of the two lines. Regardless of theembodiment of the configuration of the indicia employed, the indicia arecontinuous across the length of the paper.

The paper with embedded indicia is loaded in a printing device and aprinting job is initiated (504). When a paper section of the roll paperis dispensed, the position of the indicia reflecting a level of thepaper is observed (506). One or more distances defining the position ofthe indicia with respect to the sides of the dispensed paper section aremeasured (508), and the measurement(s) is used to determine the paperlevel in the non-dispensed portion of the paper source (510). In oneembodiment, the paper level is reported to a user. In yet anotherembodiment, the user visually determines the level of paper based uponthe position of the indicia. A threshold level identifying a positionnear the end of the paper source is defined (512). Following thereporting at step (510), the non-dispensed paper level of the papersource is compared to the defined threshold (514), and it is determinedif the threshold has been attained (516). A positive response to thedetermination at step (516) is followed by replacing the paper sourcewith a new paper source (518). Conversely, a negative response to thedetermination at step (516) is followed by a return to step (504) toproceed to the next print job. Accordingly, measurement of the indiciafollowing the print job together with the comparison with the thresholdcomparison ensures that the printer has enough paper to service the nextprint job.

As demonstrated in FIG. 5, a series of steps may be employed to assessthe quantity of paper remaining in the paper source. FIG. 6 is a blockdiagram (600) illustrating tools embedded in a system to supportassessment of the dispensed paper. For illustrative purposes, a computersystem (610) is provided in communication with a printing device (630).The computer system (610) is provided with a processing unit (612) incommunication with memory (616) across a bus (614). The computer system(610) is shown in communication with a sensor (640). In one embodiment,the sensor (640) may be a part of or in communication with the printingdevice (630). A functional unit (620) is provided in communication withmemory (616); the functional unit (620) supports management of the papersource.

The sensor (640) functions in communication with the paper supply (650),and more specifically to read a position of indicia on the paper supply.The indicia are a specific continuous element in communication with thepaper supply (650). In one embodiment, the indicia are in the form of astraight line between two points. The functional unit (620) is shownherein with several tools for management of the paper supply (650).Specifically, the tools include, but are not limited to, a positionmanager (622), a director (624), and a threshold manager (626). Theposition manager (622) is in communication with the sensor (640), andreceives indicia position data from the sensor (622). Based upon theindicia position data, the position manager (622) assesses a quantity ofpaper associated with the paper supply (650). The quantity includes aremaining supply of paper and a consumed amount of the supply of paper.More specifically, the quantity reflects how much paper has been used orhow much paper remains. The director (624) is provided in communicationwith the position manager (622). The director (624) functions todynamically control dispensing of paper from the paper supply based onthe quantity of paper supply assessed by the position manager (622).Accordingly, the position manager (622) and director (624) function toassess the position of the sensed indicia and to employ this positiondata to manage the supply of paper (650).

As shown and described in FIGS. 1-5, the paper supply (650) is acontinuous paper source. In one embodiment, the paper supply may bespaced about a roller or shaft, and as a portion of the paper isdispensed, this portion is separated from the continuous length of thepaper supply (650). The paper supply (650) is a single continuous lengthof paper marked with indicia that extends continuously across the paperfrom a first end of the paper to a second end of the paper. The indiciamay come in different forms and configurations, and should not belimited to the forms and configurations described herein. For example,the indicia may be a single line that extends from a first corneradjacent to the first end and to an opposite corner of the second end,or the indicia may consist of two beveled lines including a first of thetwo lines starting from the first corner adjacent to the first end and asecond of the two lines starting from an oppositely positioned secondcorner of the second end. The line, single or plural, may be beveled. Itis the position of the single line with respect to any of the edges ofthe paper, or in the case of the two lines the position of the lineswith respect to each other or to any of the edges of the paper that areindicative of the supply of paper remaining or used.

The sensor (640) is provided in communication with the tools (622) and(624) of the functional unit (620). More specifically, the sensor (640)functions to read a position of the indicia on a dispensed portion ofthe paper supply (650) and to measure a distance of the indicia from anedge of the dispensed paper. The distance measured defines the level ofthe paper in the paper supply (650). In addition to tools (622) and(624), the functional unit (620) includes a threshold manager (626) tocompare the level of the dispensed paper against a defined threshold.The threshold as defined provides a basis for the measurement. Thethreshold manager (626) communicates the compared level to the director(624), which communicates a signal to a printing device (630) incommunication with the paper supply. The signal functions as a dynamiccommunication tool to provide an authorization to the printing device(630) with respect to a print job. More specifically, the signalcommunicates that there is a sufficient amount of paper in the papersupply (650) to print a successive print job, or there is not asufficient amount of paper remaining in the paper supply (650) and assuch, the paper supply (650) needs a replacement paper supply.Accordingly, as shown herein, tools are provided to assess a papersupply level, and dynamically communicate the assessment to ensure asufficient quantity of paper supply for a successive print job.

As identified above, the position manager (622), director (624), andthreshold manager (626), hereinafter referred to as tools, function aselements to dynamically assess and control the paper supply. The tools(622)-(626) are shown residing in memory (616) local to the computingdevice (610). However, the tools (622)-(626) may reside as hardwaretools external to the memory (616), or they may be implemented as acombination of hardware and software. Similarly, in one embodiment, thetools (622)-(626) may be combined into a single functional item thatincorporates the functionality of the separate items. As shown herein,each of the tools (622)-(626) are shown local to the computing device(610). However, in one embodiment they may be collectively orindividually distributed across a network or multiple machines andfunction as a unit to dynamically assess and manage a paper supply.Accordingly, the tools may be implemented as software tools, hardwaretools, or a combination of software and hardware tools.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware based embodiment, an entirely software basedembodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) oran embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wire line, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described above with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

Referring now to the block diagram of FIG. 7, additional details are nowdescribed with respect to implementing an embodiment of the presentinvention. The computer system includes one or more processors, such asa processor (702). The processor (702) is connected to a communicationinfrastructure (704) (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, ornetwork).

The computer system can include a display interface (706) that forwardsgraphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure(704) (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on a display unit(708). The computer system also includes a main memory (710), preferablyrandom access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory(712). The secondary memory (712) may include, for example, a hard diskdrive (714) and/or a removable storage drive (716), representing, forexample, a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, or an optical diskdrive. The removable storage drive (716) reads from and/or writes to aremovable storage unit (718) in a manner well known to those havingordinary skill in the art. Removable storage unit (718) represents, forexample, a floppy disk, a compact disc, a magnetic tape, or an opticaldisk, etc., which is read by and written to by removable storage drive(716). As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit (718) includesa computer readable medium having stored therein computer softwareand/or data.

In alternative embodiments, the secondary memory (712) may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to beloaded into the computer system. Such means may include, for example, aremovable storage unit (720) and an interface (722). Examples of suchmeans may include a program package and package interface (such as thatfound in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM,or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units (720)and interfaces (722) which allow software and data to be transferredfrom the removable storage unit (720) to the computer system.

The computer system may also include a communications interface (724).Communications interface (724) allows software and data to betransferred between the computer system and external devices. Examplesof communications interface (724) may include a modem, a networkinterface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, or a PCMCIAslot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communicationsinterface (724) are in the form of signals which may be, for example,electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of beingreceived by communications interface (724). These signals are providedto communications interface (724) via a communications path (i.e.,channel) (726). This communications path (726) carries signals and maybe implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, acellular phone link, a radio frequency (RF) link, and/or othercommunication channels.

In this document, the terms “computer program medium,” “computer usablemedium,” and “computer readable medium” are used to generally refer tomedia such as main memory (710) and secondary memory (712), removablestorage drive (716), and a hard disk installed in hard disk drive (714).

Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored inmain memory (710) and/or secondary memory (712). Computer programs mayalso be received via a communication interface (724). Such computerprograms, when run, enable the computer system to perform the featuresof the present invention as discussed herein. In particular, thecomputer programs, when run, enable the processor (702) to perform thefeatures of the computer system. Accordingly, such computer programsrepresent controllers of the computer system.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed.

Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and the practical application,and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand theinvention for various embodiments with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

Alternative Embodiment

It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of theinvention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. In one embodiment, the indicia for the paperlevel may be placed on a side section of the paper supply, such as aream or roll, as not to affect the surface of the paper that ispresentable. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this invention islimited only by the following claims and their equivalents.

We claim:
 1. A method comprising: loading, into a printing device, apaper supply comprising indicia, wherein the indicia comprises twolines, including a first line starting from a first corner at a firstend of the paper supply and a second line starting from an oppositelypositioned second corner at the first end of the paper supply, whereinthe first and second lines converge to meet at a common point at asecond end of the paper supply; in response to the printing devicereceiving a request to dispense paper from the paper supply, a sensor inelectrical communication with the printing device measuring a firstposition of a first point on the first line with respect to a secondposition of a second point on the second line on the paper supply;assessing a lengthwise measurement of the paper supply, includingcalculating a remaining length of paper supply based on the measureddistance between the first and the second positions; and dynamicallydispensing the paper from the paper supply in response to the calculatedremaining length of paper supply.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thecalculated remaining length of paper supply indicates a level of anon-dispensed portion of the paper supply.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein assessing the lengthwise measurement of the paper supplycomprises comparing the non-dispensed portion to a defined threshold,the threshold identifying a print job end position towards the secondend of the paper supply, and the comparison determining if thenon-dispensed level is sufficient to satisfy the received request todispense paper.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein dispensing the papercomprises determining if the non-dispensed level attains the threshold,and further comprising replacing the paper supply with a new papersupply if the threshold is attained, and dispensing the paper from thepaper supply if the threshold is not attained.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the indicia is comprised of magnetic ink.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the indicia is comprised of infra-red sensitive ink.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the indicia is comprised of ultravioletsensitive ink.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reportingthe assessed lengthwise measurement of the paper supply to the printingdevice.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is comprised ofvisible ink, and wherein the position of the indicia is visuallyobservable.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment isperformed by a tool in electrical communication with the sensor.